Parched on the Red Sea

The Challenge: Parched on the Red Sea

Miles and miles of gorgeous Red Sea coastline draw tourists to Egypt every year. And while most of Egypt’s residents have access to fresh water from the River Nile, transporting it to the farthest reaches of the Egyptian coast is expensive. Tourism is a significant part of Egypt’s economy, and coastal towns are looking to seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination as an option for bringing fresh water to tourist destinations.

Hydro-Solutions, a subsidiary of Express Industrial Co., is a leader in the design, manufacturing and installation of desalination plants. It is also active in the operation and maintenance of these plants. Hydro-Solutions has been supplying potable water for more than seven years to Marriot Sharm El-Sheikh Hotel in Na’ama Bay through a SWRO desalination plant. Based on its experience with low-quality welded sheet pumps that caused continuous noise and leaks, Hydro-Solutions demanded a higher quality replacement.

An evaluation of high-quality, high-efficiency pumps with casted components from global suppliers led to an obvious choice: Energy Recovery’s Aquabold 2X3X5. Using the AquaBold eliminated the annoying noise, leaks and vibration issues that Hydro-Solutions faced from its sheet metal pumps. From the casted impellers, diffusers and case, to the process-fluid lubricated internal bearings, the AquaBold has been designed from the ground up for maintenance-free operation specifically for desalination applications. Hydro-Solutions also chose to use one of Energy Recovery’s Advanced TurboCharger products to lower operation costs by recovering excess energy. Installation was easy since the pump, motor and turbocharger arrived already coupled and aligned on one common base.

The Result: Higher Quality, Less Maintenance Required and a Longer Life

The installation of the AquaBold was quick, easy and maintenance-free – adding 15 years of life to the plant. Since commissioning, it has reduced plant noise and eliminated leaks and vibrations. After almost three years of operating with Energy Recovery technologies, routine checkups have shown the AquaBold and Advanced TurboCharger are operating at above-expected efficiency with no measurable wear or need for service.